by: Omar Kelly December 29th, 2010 | 11:43 AM The Miami Dolphins began the team’s preparation for Sunday’s season-finale against the New England Patriots without four of the team’s starters.Inside Karlos Dansby, who has been nursing a turf toe and ankle injury for weeks, missed Wednesday’s practice, and could be sidelined for his second straight week.Dansby, who has contributed 96 tackles and three sacks, sat out Sunday’s 34-27 loss to the Lions after missing all of last week’s practice.

Will Anthony Fasano's knee injury keep him sidelined on Sunday?Starting tight end Anthony Fasano, right tackle Lydon Murtha and cornerback Nolan Carroll, the team’s primary kickoff returner, were all absent during Wednesday’s session that was available to the media.Fasano injured a knee against the Lions, and Murtha and Carroll both suffered head injuries. Carroll suffered a concussion and likely won’t be cleared to practice until he passes a baseline test. It’s unclear of Murtha, who has replaced the injured Vernon Carey, suffered a concussion when he left the game in the fourth quarter.

...

This season the Dolphins have lost 12 players to season-ending injuries, and six of them (offensive linemen Nate Garner, cornerback Will Allen, rookie defensive end Jared Odrick, quarterback Chad Pennington, receiver Brian Hartline and Carey) were either former or projected starters.

Good old Dolphins luck, if we didn't have bad luck we wouldn't have any luck as they say. Well, there is always next year. I guess we'll just continue to build through the draft and hope by next year we're a deeper team that can take the injuries and still win games.

cornerback Nolan Carroll, the team’s primary kickoff returner ... l absent during Wednesday’s session that was available to the media. .... Carroll suffered a concussion and likely won’t be cleared to practice until he passes a baseline test.

Carroll had a concussion in the last game, so, we cannot blame Alosi on that one;)

cornerback Nolan Carroll, the team’s primary kickoff returner ... l absent during Wednesday’s session that was available to the media. .... Carroll suffered a concussion and likely won’t be cleared to practice until he passes a baseline test.

Carroll had a concussion in the last game, so, we cannot blame Alosi on that one;)

Hopefully he can recover quickly, Carroll is a young player who this staff is really high on. He's been developing nicely. He might have been another diamond in the rough that our staff has found.

All this means is we get one more week rest for next years super bowl run...

all aboard the 13-3 bus!!!!!

Im driving , full speed ahead!!

So we are missing 4 first teamers .... hopefully Belicheck plays his backups & their backups , y'know the guys who might be driving UPS trucks soon. Then we beat them & it goes down as a win , nobody will remember we beat the scrubs ... Sparano keeps his job . we are ecstatic with a win over the Patriots, we carry that momentum into next season & Chad Henne steers the bus we are talking about above to the promised land.

A.J. Edds, Will Allen, Jared Odrick, Brian Hartline, Nate Garner, Phillip Merling, Karlos Dansby, Channing Crowder.....If all these guys stay healthy next year, this can be a very good team with great depth.Give me a nose tackle, center, guard, speed receiver and tight end in the draft or free agency and I'd be willing to jump on the Super Bowl bus.

We have lost starters to injury but I would guarantee so has every team in the league. It is one of those things you can count on going into a season.

I know it is a meaningless game from a playoff perspective for the Dolphins and that the Pats will probably treat it like a pre-season contest but this is an important game for the Dolphins. If this team goes 8-8, beats every team in its division at least once, and finishes with a 7-1 road record those are all respectable or better accomplishments and leaves you with a much better taste in your mouth.

First, the good news: Rookie cornerback/kick returner Nolan Carroll has returned to practice four days after suffering a concussion on the second-half kickoff against the Lions.Carroll appeared to be working at least on a limited basis and perhaps even fully.He told me this week the only other concussion he’d suffered previously came during spring ball before his senior season at Maryland. Carroll was optimistic at that point he’d be cleared in time for Sunday’s season finale.Not so fortunate — at least so far — is starting right tackle Lydon Murtha